In Southern California, generations of immigrants are creating an evolving definition of "American." Multi-American is your source for news, conversation and insight on this emerging regional and national identity.

To Cope With Child Immigrants, Competing Plans Emerge From Congress - NPR The Republican-led House and Democratic-dominated Senate are not surprisingly split over how to handle the influx of child migrants at the border. The House is concentrating on changing a 2008 anti-human trafficking law that makes it difficult to immediately deport anyone from a non-contiguous country (most of these children are coming from Central America.) Senate Democrats are standing firm on keeping the law as is, saying these children deserve a chance to seek asylum. But both the House and Senate plan on giving the president less money than the $3.7 million he's requested.

Scam targets families of migrant youths - Dallas Morning News According to the FBI, swindlers have obtained details about migrant children being held at military bases in Texas and Oklahoma and are using it to try and extort up to several thousand dollars from their families. From the story: "Cases of the fraud have been reported in 12 states so far, from New York to California, with the con artists seeking $350 to $6,000 in so-called fees, the FBI says."

The Solution to Border Disorder (Op-ed)- Wall Street Journal Former Florida governor and potential 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush has written an op-ed column encouraging fellow Republicans to show "compassion" for the migrant children but not let it become an excuse to delay comprehensive immigration reform. Bush, who co-authored the piece with Clint Bolick of the Goldwater Institute, said Republicans must show leadership before President Obama uses executive action.

U.S. Religious Leaders Embrace Cause of Immigrant Children - New York Times In contrast to the hordes of protestors greeting the buses of immigrants arriving at detention centers and shelter sites, clergy members are passionate in showing their support. From the story: "The backlash to the backlash is broad, from Unitarian Universalists and Quakers to evangelical Protestants." In Dallas, leaders of more than 100 faith organizations got together last week to discuss what they could do. This week, officials with the Southern Baptist Convention visited refugee children at detention centers in San Antonio and McAllen, Tex.

5 immigration issues Central American leaders will raise with Obama - CBS News On Friday, President Obama will meet with the leaders of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala - the biggest sources of unaccompanied children coming to the US. Among the issues to be raised are deportations and family reunification. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has asked Congress to consider the interest of the children who want to be with their parents in the U.S.
Family reunification is a common theme with the three presidents.

American-Born Gangs Helping Drive Immigrant Crisis at U.S. Border - National Geographic The magazine illustrates one major factor driving the Central American violence that's causing migrant children to flee their homes: L.A. gang culture. In the 1980s, some of the immigrants escaping civil wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua joined gangs to protect themselves against Mexican-American and African-American gangs. When members of Central American gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha were deported, they continued gang life back in Central America. Also exported were rivalries between factions of Mara Salvatrucha.